Hurricane Gonzalo strengthens to become a Category 4 storm and could wreak the same havoc as the deadly 2003 storm Fabian which left Bermuda decimated

For the second time in two days Hurricane Gonzalo has reached a Category 4 storm warning as it fluctuates in intensity and threatens to pack the same deadly wallop as Bermuda's last direct hit over ten years ago

Gonzalo is howling with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and is expected to be at least a Hurricane 4 when it comes within just 29 miles of Bermuda on Friday evening and into Friday night

The eye of Gonzalo is expected to pass near Bermuda at around 4pm on Friday - a dangerous storm surge is expected along with heavy rainfall

People on the tiny British territory of Bermuda rushed Thursday to batten down for Hurricane Gonzalo, which was roaring toward them as a major Category 4 storm that threatens to do the same deadly and extensive damage as Hurricane Fabian in 2003.

Fabian was the last major hurricane to strike Bermuda and made landfall as Category 3 storm that wound up killing four people. Kimberley Zuill, Bermuda Weather Service director, said at a news conference that the storm would affect the island for 27 hours.

'The path is similar to Fabian, the duration is similar to Fabian,' she said. 'If your property was exposed and received damage during Fabian, you will want to prepare for that again.'

The capital of Hamilton appeared almost deserted by noon as stores boarded up windows. The businesses that remained open reported a steady stream of customers grabbing up essentials at the last minute.

Repeat of 2003? Fabian hit Bermuda (seen in a satellite view at left) with gusts of up to 120mph, ripped the roofs off countless buildings and homes, ripped down power lines and did extreme damage to coastlines. Experts have warned that Hurricane Gonzalo (right) could be just as bad

'Some people seem to have left it until the end to get things,' said Melissa Trott, an employee at Phoenix Store. 'We sold out of batteries, and our warehouse has none left.'

Gas stations also reported brisk business.

'I was here for Hurricane Fabian in 2003, so I'm not taking any chances this time,' said Susan Black, a retiree who was filling up her car and several gas cans. 'I've been busy since 6:30 this morning getting things ready.'

Fabian hit Bermuda with gusts of up to 120mph, ripped the roofs off countless buildings and homes, ripped down power lines and did extreme damage to coastlines.

What's to come? The dining room area is littered with debris at the Sonesta Beach Hotel in Hamilton, Bermuda, September 6, 2003 after Hurricane Fabian ravaged the island nation the day before

Will history repeat itself? A beachfront home lay in ruins in Bermuda September 7, 2003 after Fabian blew through with wind gusts that hit 120MPH

Many people moved boats to safer areas. While some can bring them out of the water, others relied on storm moorings and hoped for the best.

Forecasters said destructive waves could cause significant flooding on the island, which is about one-third the size of Washington, D.C. Some 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain was predicted. The Bermuda Weather Service said seas would reach 35 feet (11 meters) on Friday.

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The Turks and Caicos Islands government announced Thursday that it would send a 436-foot (133-meter) frigate of Britain's Royal Navy to help with post-storm recovery efforts if needed.

The storm is moving toward the north at 9 mph toward Bermuda, where a hurricane warning is in effect as the territory rushes to batten down.

The hurricane center says the eye of Gonzalo is expected to pass near Bermuda sometime Friday, and a dangerous storm surge is expected along with heavy rainfall.

Forecasters say Hurricane Gonzalo has strengthened overnight and is once again a dangerous Category 4 storm as it barrels toward the small British island territory of Bermuda

Hurricane Gonzalo has top sustained winds near 125 mph and was centered about 555 miles south south-west of Bermuda in the early hours of Thursday morning

Florida looked set to avoid the severe weather, reported the Sun Sentinel, although it could generate large swells and an increased risk of rip currents later in the week.

After smashing into Bermuda, Gonzalo is expected to head northeast and hit Newfoundland in far eastern Canada by late Saturday.

Gonzalo is the Atlantic's first Category 4 hurricane since October 2011 when Hurricane Ophelia's winds reached 140 mph, according to Jeff Masters, a hurricane expert with private forecaster Weather Underground.

Florida looks set to avoid the severe weather, although it could generate large swells and an increased risk of rip currents later in the week

Route: A National Hurricane Center map shows the predicted route of the storm over the next couple of days

Devastating: This graphic shows how the storm will weaken as it pushes northeast and brushes eastern Canada on Sunday

Hurricane Gonzalo briefly reached Category 4 status on Wednesday but dropped back to a Category 3 by the evening as it continued to move away from the northern Caribbean, forecasters said.

It is expected to see slow weakening on Thursday night, with steadier weakening starting by late Friday.

Gonzalo is the sixth hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic season, which runs through to the end of November. Forecasters in August predicted lower-than-usual activity for the season, with seven to 12 named storms and no more than two reaching major hurricane status.

A major hurricane is considered to be Category 3 or above with winds hitting at least 111 mph.

Gonzalo has already swept by the eastern Caribbean earlier this week. It has uprooted trees, downed power lines and damaged scores of boats in the Caribbean islands of Antigua, St Maarten, and Martinique, according to local authorities and media reports.

An 87-year-old sailor in St Maarten died after his boat sank in a marina where 37 vessels were damaged, the Daily Herald reported. Two people are missing, one in St. Martin and the other in St. Barts.

After smashing into Bermuda, Gonzalo is expected to head northeast and hit Newfoundland in far eastern Canada by late Saturday, although by then it will have been downgraded to a Category 1 storm

Destruction: Destroyed buildings can be seen along the beach of Point a Pitre, Guadeloupe on Tuesday after Gonzalo swept through

Wreckage: Hurricane Gonzalo picked up even more strength as it left Guadeloupe (pictured) and is now a Category 4 storm

Shaken: A woman walks past damaged trees in Orient Bay on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Tuesday. Three people are missing at sea after the hurricane Gonzalo swept through the French Caribbean islands of Saint Barthelemy and Saint-Martin

Bermuda's residents are already having to cope with the aftermath of Sunday's Tropical Storm Fay.

More than 1,000 homes remain without power and homeowners are working to repair damaged roofs. The government called out 200 soldiers of the Bermuda Regiment to help with cleanup efforts on the island of roughly 70,000 people.

On Wednesday, people stripped the island's hardware stores of generators, batteries, candles and other items and picked up free tarpaulins distributed by the government. Supermarkets and gas stations are braced for more crowds on Thursday.

'We sold out of generators [Tuesday], and items like batteries, tarp and ropes have been flying off the shelf,' Mark Stearns, a hardware store general manager, said. 'Everything that is on the hurricane list has been going fast and furious. People are definitely nervous about this storm.'

Flights out of Bermuda are fully booked for the rest of the week and hardware stores were inundated with shoppers, the Royal Gazette reported.

Bermuda, which is 850 miles east of the U.S. state of South Carolina, has one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world and its strict building codes make structures particularly capable of withstanding storms.

Havoc: A picture shows damaged utility poles in the aftermath of the Hurricane Gonzola on October 14, 204 on Saint Martin

Floods: Streets are flooded following Hurricane Gonzola in Marigot on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Tuesday

Aftermath: Residents survey the damage in Point a Pitre, Guadeloupe after the hurricane swept through on Tuesday